North Haven takes heat in hiring 4 firefighters

NORTH HAVEN  The Fire Commission has hired four new firefighters, but the action is calling into question whether the Fire Department will ever have a paramedic unit.

Ann DeMatteo

Published 12:00 am, Thursday, February 17, 2005

Fire Chief Vincent Landisio was holding off filling four vacancies in the Fire Department until a decision was made on the paramedic unit. If the unit became viable, then trained paramedics would be hired.

But earlier this week, Landisio and the Fire Commission decided to move forward and on Tuesday hired four new men, bringing the department up to 28 firefighters for the first time since 1992.

The department has had four vacancies since the start of the fiscal year because three firefighters took early retirement. The 28th person couldnt be hired until Jan. 1 for budget reasons.

Fire union President Christopher Murray said that while its "wonderful" to get a 28th firefighter, the town made a bad choice, which killed the paramedic program.

Both Landisio and commission Chairman William Mitchell said the hiring had to be done now to get the four men into the March 7 class at the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks.

The next training class isnt until July, which would have meant forcing the department to live with the vacancies and an ever-growing need to pay overtime until September.

"Based on the discussions with ourselves and with the union, we made the decision to move forward with the hiring," the chief said.

"Both sides agree we want a paramedic unit, but we couldnt get resolution on how to best get there," Landisio said.

"Its not a dead issue, as far as Im concerned," Mitchell said.

But Murray said that less than 24 hours after the union sent a letter saying it wanted formal negotiations, the commission was instructed to fill the positions.

"The Fire Commission wont stand up to anyone. The finance director is a coward. He wont negotiate with us, and the paramedic program is now dead," he said. "The town of North Haven the first selectman, the fire chief and the personnel director, must not want a paramedic program because theyre afraid to go on the record and negotiate."

The chief disagreed.

"Chris Murrays comments are baseless. I am not going to stoop to trading insults with the people I ask to perform for our town every day," Landisio responded.

"However, it should be clear that the decision to hire was based on my recommendation on how best to move the department forward at this time. The commission showed great courage and conviction to follow that recommendation," Landisio said.

"Every effort was made to bring about a favorable conclusion, but it wasnt to be and the town had to move forward," said Finance Director Vincent Palmeri, the towns personnel director.

Meanwhile, the four men who were hired have all been volunteer firefighters for several years. They are Brian Marino, 20, Michael Pomichter, 31, and Ronald Prisco, 25, all of North Haven, and Jason Cusack, 30, of Branford.